Lia and Jonah rob the mini-fridge behind the bar and pass out chilled bottles of beer to everyone except me and Sam. Sam has to pass on the alcohol because of his pain meds, and I opt for water because… well, I’m drinking for two now.
Just as Cooper brings the food to the table, Shane’s phone chimes. He picks it up and glances at the screen. “We’re going to need more place settings,” he says, rising from the table. “We’ve got company on the way up.”
A few moments later, the elevator doors open, and Shane’s three brothers and Gus the dog stroll in. Jake’s carrying a 12-pack of beer bottles and Jamie’s holding a bouquet of white roses.
“Where’s the lady of the house?” Jamie says, smiling.
“Right here,” I say.
Jamie and Gus walk around the table, heading right for me. When they’re close, I reach out and touch Jamie’s arm. “I’m here.”
He leans down to kiss my cheek. “For you,” he says, handing me the bouquet.
“Why doesn’t anyone ever bring me flowers?” Lia says, staring pointedly at Jonah, who’s seated beside her at the long table.
He leans toward her and pulls her in for a kiss. “I’ll get you some flowers, tiger,” he says.
Jake takes a seat at the table. “Sophie sends her love,” he tells me. “She’s sorry she couldn’t make it tonight, but she’s got a hot date with some big-shot lawyer.”
It’s an impromptu reunion with a majority of the McIntyre family. Two of their sisters – Sophie and Hannah – are missing, along with their parents, Calum and Bridget. I lay my hand on my lower belly, where I imagine my uterus is located, and I feel so overwhelmed with good fortune. Our baby is going to be born into a large, loving family, with no shortage of aunts, uncles, and grandparents to dote on him or her.
I glance up at Shane, who’s seated to my left, at the head of the table. He smiles at me and reaches for my hand, giving it a squeeze. “Everything all right?” he says.
I nod. My gaze makes a quick sweep of the table. “Let’s tell them,” I whisper.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
He nods and raises his bottle of beer. “Ladies and gentlemen, I have a toast to make, actually two, and an announcement.”
Everyone at the table hushes, looking expectantly at Shane.
Shane points the neck of his beer bottle toward Sam at the far end of the table. “First of all, I’d like to propose a toast to the man of the hour – Sam Harrison – for the extraordinary job he did Monday. He risked his own life to save the life of my wife-to-be.” Shane raises his bottle, and everyone follows suit.
Sam’s actually blushing, his fair complexion turning a healthy shade of pink in the face of all the attention. He shrugs it off. “Hey, I was just doing my job.”
And, of course, everyone chuckles.
“And my second toast is to my baby sister, Lia, for apprehending the driver of the car, stopping him in the act of running from a crime scene.”
“Yeah, move on,” Lia says, waving a dismissive hand.
“And last, but certainly not least, Beth and I have an announcement to make.” Shane reaches for my hand and brings it to his lips for a kiss. “We just found out yesterday that Beth is expecting. We’re having a baby.”
At first, there’s dead silence from the people in the room who didn’t already know. Sam already knew, of course, as did Cooper and Jamie. But no one else.
“Holy shit,” Lia finally says, breaking the silence as she slams down her beer bottle, setting off more laughter. “I’m going to be a freaking aunt! Are you kidding me?”
* * *
It was a fun and boisterous evening. Our delicious meal was followed by lots of talking and laughing. We eventually migrated into the martial arts studio after dinner and some folks played a few games of darts. I sat on the sofa with Sam to keep him company, while Cooper hovered nearby like a grizzly bear guarding his cub. And even though he seemed to never take his eyes off Sam, Cooper for the most part ignored him, which put Sam in an increasingly down mood.
After the last of our guests had gone, and Cooper wheeled a very exhausted Sam back to his room, Shane headed to his office to check on some messages, while I change into my nightgown and pull on a robe.
I walk down the dark, deserted central hallway to Sam’s room, just to check on him. It’s his first day out of the hospital, and I’m sure he’s in pain, as well as being exhausted. He looked pretty wiped out toward the end of the evening. Cooper tried several times earlier in the evening to talk him into returning to bed, but Sam wouldn’t hear of it.
I’m quiet as I near his room, not wanting to disturb him if he’s asleep already. His door is ajar, and the room is dark and quiet, illuminated only by the ambient moonlight coming through the tall windows. I peer through the opening and am stunned to find not only Sam asleep in the big bed, but Cooper as well. Sam’s lying on his back, with his broken leg propped up on pillows. Cooper’s beside him, lying on his side to get as close to Sam as he can. Both of them are bare-chested. Cooper’s arm is wrapped tightly around Sam’s waist, as if he can’t bear to let go, and his face is pressed into the crook of Sam’s neck and shoulder. Sam’s arm is draped along Cooper’s, their fingers intertwined.
It doesn’t make sense. Cooper clearly has feelings for Sam, but when they’re around other people, Cooper is just so distant. God, I hope they can work things out.
A pair of warm hands settle on my shoulders, and I look back at Shane, who’s dressed in gray flannel PJ pants and nothing else. He observes the cuddlefest on the bed from over my head and smiles, then draws me back silently from the door, pulling Sam’s bedroom door shut quietly. He sweeps me up into his arms and carries me down the hall toward our suite.
“They look so cute together,” I whisper.
Shane smiles. “How about some very careful pregnancy sex?” he murmurs close to my ear. “I was thinking of some careful licking, and perhaps some careful stroking? Maybe some quiet orgasms?”
“That sounds lovely,” I say, leaning my head on his chest.
“Nothing too strenuous, mind you. We don’t want to wake up the baby.”
* * *
As I’m lying here, reveling in the sweetest post-coital bliss imaginable, Shane peppers my quivering belly with tender kisses. True to his word, he drove me crazy with soft, gentle licks and steady, careful stroking. I had to bite my lip, but I did manage to come quietly, without screaming the walls down, as did Shane. Between all the moaning and groaning and whimpering, there was a also fair amount of quiet laughter. We were like two kids who were trying too hard to be quiet, and of course it’s always impossible to be quiet when you’re trying.
As he lays his cheek on my belly, relaxed and peaceful, I thread my fingers through his hair. He burrows closer and groans when my nails scrape his scalp. “I think you’re enjoying this,” I murmur.
He peers up at me, looking very satisfied. “Enjoying what? You playing with my hair? Or having you naked in my bed? Yes, definitely, to both.”
“No, I mean the pregnancy.”
He looks surprised. “Of course, I’m enjoying it. It’s not every day a man’s better half carries his child. These are momentous times. I’m going to savor every minute of it.”
“You’re definitely going to be a great father.”
“Speaking of fathers, my parents’ flight comes in Wednesday evening. Let’s give them a couple days to settle in and get over their jet lag, and then we’ll have the wedding. How about Saturday?”
“Saturday sounds fine. We’ll have to coordinate the catering and the photographer.”
“Don’t worry about that. I’ll take care of it. So, we’ll have the wedding Saturday, and everyone will stay overnight so we don’t have to worry about people driving home after possibly drinking too much. Then, on Sunday afternoon, we’ll leave for our honeymoon. Have you decided where you want to go? Anywhere you want, just name it.”
“There are so many possibilities, it’s hard to choose. I’ve hardly ever been out of Illinois.”
“Well then, pick somewhere you’ve always wanted to visit.”
I sigh, overwhelmed by all the options. “I want to visit a lot of places. England, Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii.... It’s a pretty long list. And Paris. Toronto, Vancouver. How can I possibly decide?”
“Well, what do you want to do on our honeymoon? Go sightseeing? Relax and be waited on hand and foot? What?”
I close my eyes and imagine a pristine beach with clear, blue-green water. “I want to relax somewhere warm, on a beach, and stare at a beautiful ocean. Then head back to our room for more pregnancy sex.”
He laughs. “I think we can manage that. Somewhere warm with a beach and an ocean… that sounds like the somewhere in the Caribbean or Hawaii. How does that sound?”
“Perfect.”